


The Twelve Days Of Arashi

by Draco_Rattus



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Bad Jokes, Christmas, Drabble Collection, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-14 11:04:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 4,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13006443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Draco_Rattus/pseuds/Draco_Rattus
Summary: A series of festive Arashi drabbles based on the traditional British Christmas song, the Twelve Days Of Christmas, with one chapter posted every day leading up to Christmas Day. Mostly fluffy, mostly silly, and I apologise in advance for the tenuous links to the song lyrics, awful jokes and terrible wordplay. Season's Greetings, Arashians! ^^;





	1. A Partridge In A Pear Tree

Slowly, carefully, Sakurai Sho sets out a selection of foods on the kitchen worktop, making a mental note of which things he'll need to prepare in which order. It's not the first time he's tried cooking for his band-mates, but he's determined that it's certainly going to be the most memorable, especially with the festive season coming up and the emphasis being on spending time with friends and family. That's why he's gone for something a little bit different from his usual fare, preparing a Chinese-style dish which he hopes even Aiba Masaki – with his more experienced background of Chinese cuisine – will find interesting.

“You sure you've got everything you need?” 

Matsumoto Jun, one of the aforementioned band-mates – and also Sho's lover – sticks his head around the doorway and smiles, doing his best to be helpful. It's certainly not because Sho is using his kitchen that Jun is keeping an eye on him, right? It's nothing to do with the fact that last time Sho did any cooking, he somehow managed to set fire to one of Jun's chopping boards in the process. (How _did_ he even manage to burn cereal, anyway?) 

“Yeah, I'm good.” Sho takes a step back and surveys the ingredients one last time, making sure that the apron he's wearing is tightly tied about his waist. “Now, go and keep the guys company, and let me work my magic.”

Rolling his eyes, Jun shakes his head and leaves Sho alone with his ego to prepare the food.

=========================

It's actually nice to spend some time with the rest of Arashi without them having to worry about any work pressures. Sitting back on his couch Jun shares kind words and a few cans of beer with Ohno Satoshi, Ninomiya Kazunari and Aiba Masaki, the four of them discussing everything from current news stories to upcoming projects that they're working on, until the delicious scent of Sho cooking whatever he's preparing becomes too mouth-wateringly good to ignore.

“What's he making in there, anyway?” Satoshi glances back towards the kitchen, where there's the sound of pans and plates being banged together, followed by some muffled cursing.

“I don't know. He wouldn't tell me.” Jun shrugs. “But he said it was going to be special.”

“Is this going to be like that time he made his Special Seafood Surprise?” Kazunari asks. “Because the most surprising thing about _that_ was that it didn't make me ill.”

“Maybe we should have told him you're supposed to peel prawns...”

“You're too kind, Masaki.”

“It's ready!”

There's a sudden triumphant shout from the kitchen, Sho's voice full of pride, and in the next few moments he's walking into the lounge – still wearing his apron, still wearing oven gloves – carrying a plate which looks like some kind of roasted poultry. He's prepared it in the same way as a roast duck, on a platter arranged with pancakes and spring onions, and it looks like finally, _finally,_ Sakurai Sho may have got the hang of cooking after all—-

His foot finds the edge of a rug, his hands slip because he's still wearing the gloves, and the scene unfolds almost in slow motion, his expertly-prepared meal flying out of his hands to land in one of Jun's carefully-tended bonsai displays, a tiny fruit tree which is now bedecked with pieces of perfectly-roasted game bird.

_A partridge in a pear tree._


	2. Two Turtle Doves

“Don't you just love Christmas weddings?”

Both Sakurai Sho and Matsumoto Jun look stunning in their matching white suits, the colour scheme more than appropriate, considering the festivities. One of their friends is getting married today, a December wedding, and for her theme she's chosen ice and snow, requesting that the guests wear a colour which is traditionally more associated with the bride. Jun, particularly, relished the prospect of selecting clothes for himself and his partner, and of course there was no expense spared when it came to making sure they were wearing the very best.

Ninomiya and Satoshi look rather fetching too, although Nino is tugging uncomfortably at his jacket, and Satoshi seems to be daydreaming about being somewhere else as the two of them make their way over to where Sho and Jun are standing.

“Looking good, guys.” Jun grins, giving a bow of acknowledgement. “Have you seen Masaki?”

“Masaki?” Satoshi's brow furrows. “Oh, yeah... wasn't he making the arrangements for the birds?”

“Birds?”

“Yeah, birds. Apparently the happy couple wanted a couple of birds to fly out when they make their vows, and Masaki offered to help.”

“Makes sense.” Sho nods, not quite understanding Masaki's love of animals, but finding it endearing nonetheless. It's kind of the man to offer his help, but that's just the kind of guy that he is.

“Hey, we'd better hurry. It's starting.”

Jun ushers his three band-mates towards their seats as the other guests also began to sit down, everyone preparing for what promises to be a beautiful day.

=========================

As Satoshi had said, Masaki has indeed been busy getting two birds ready for the couple – but there's been a setback. The problem is that he doesn't _have_ two birds. The company he'd arranged to supply them had cancelled at the last moment, leaving him at a bit of a loss; but then he'd had a flash of inspiration.

_I really hope they've got a sense of humour._

He's doing his best to stay calm as he walks down the aisle carrying a small box, a box which looks as though it had been fashioned for pigeons. (Well, it _had_ been, since that had been the intended contents.) He notes the look of anticipation on the happy couple's face as he approaches them, the expectant stares of the wedding guests, no doubt waiting to see two sets of white wings take flight; and then he opens the box, and the bride laughs, and the groom just smiles.

“I'm really sorry. The company let me down so I had to improvise.”

Because although Masaki may not have birds he _does_ have a pair of pet turtles, and he's somehow managed to attach a little pair of toy wings onto each of them, so they look like a couple of reptilian angels, or pigeons with patterned shells and scaly little faces.

_Two turtle doves._


	3. Three French Hens

_Lobster soufflé, bourride, salmon faverolles..._ Ohno Satoshi's mind boggles at the wide variety of things on offer, but he finally settles on what he's going to get and presses the 'send' button. That's one of the perks of working on so many different projects all the time – it means that the pay is good, and when the pay is good, you don't have to cook your own dinner all the time. Tonight, for example, he's put in an order from a local place which apparently specialises in European food and other supplies. He hopes his partner Kazunari will approve of his menu choice.

=========================

“I'm home, Satoshi-kun!” Kazunari calls out as he enters their apartment some time later, calling out his usual greeting. “Are we doing anything tonight?”

“Dinner should be here soon.” Satoshi calls back. Typically, Kazunari shows a lack of interest in his food. In fact, Satoshi is pretty sure that if he didn't feed him, his boyfriend would waste away to nothing in front of his Playstation.

“Oh, okay.” A pause as Kazunari kicks off his shoes and hangs up his coat. “What are we having?”

“Continental stuff. Apparently they do their own kind of sushi.”

“Eh, alright.” But no sooner has Kazunari set foot inside their lounge then the doorbell rings, and Ohno gets up from where he'd been sitting to wander over to the door and answer it. Outside stands a man holding a large crate, much larger than Satoshi had expected.

“Order for Satoshi-san?”

“Yeah...” He's eyeing the crate suspiciously, because it certainly doesn't look like any takeaway delivery he's ever seen. “What's _that?”_

“It's your order, sir. You asked us to bring three salmon faverolles.”

“I thought that was a kind of European sushi...”

“No, sir." The crate _clucks._ "That's the fancy name for a domesticated farm bird.”

_Three French Hens._


	4. Four Calling Birds

The first phone call interrupts Sho while he's trying to eat his lunch, a rushed bento box inbetween takes for their latest video.

“Hello?”

“Hello there. Is this the right number to book the, um, the sexy Santa?”

“I... what? Ah, no, sorry.” A pause while he swallows down a mouthful of eel. “Wrong number.”

“Oh! Sorry! Good bye!”

The woman hangs up and Sho frowns, wondering what on Earth _that_ was all about. No time to think about it though, since they're due to continue filming shortly, so he washes down his food with a quick soda and readies himself for another few hours in front of the camera – but then his phone rings again.

“Good afternoon, is this where I can book a sexy Santa?”

“No.” Sho's reply is more blunt this time. “Wrong number.”

And this time he hangs up first, scowling at his own phone. Just as he's about to shove it back into one of his pockets – another call.

“What?” He's far less polite now. “What do _you_ want?”

“Oh, is this not the number for the sexy---”

 _“No!”_ He almost drops his phone in his hurry to hang up. “What the Hell is going on...?”

Another call. _This is getting ridiculous._

“Go away!” Sho's all out of courtesy now. “No, I am _not_ a sexy Santa, so get lost!”

“Sho-kun.” On the other end of the phone, his mother sounds incredibly disappointed. “That's not how I raised my son to talk.”

Just around the corner, Ninomiya Kazunari is doing his best to contain laughter behind his hand. He doesn't regret posting Sho's number on the staff noticeboard as a 'Seasonal Stripper'. He doesn't regret it at all.

_Four calling birds._


	5. Five Gold Rings

Matsumoto Jun and Sakurai Sho have been together for some time now, but they've never yet exchanged jewellery or given each other a keepsake to wear. Much as Jun has come to accept this as part of Sho's personality – _he's always so busy, he doesn't have time to go picking out jewellery for me_ – it would be nice to at least receive _something_. That's why Jun has been dropping heavy hints for the past few months that he'd like a gift from Sho which he can wear in public, something subtle which the staff and the fans can easily explain away as just another one of Jun's fashionable fancies.

And Sho is out shopping today, so perhaps he'll find something then. Jun is away from the home they share too, working on some preparations for one of their upcoming concerts, but he keeps an eye on his phone just in case Sho asks him for more hints. When the day is almost over he can't suppress a smile when he receives a text message from his partner which reads _'popped home but had to head out again. something small for you on kitchen counter. see you later, sho x'_

Has his partner finally taken the hint?

=========================

As soon as Jun gets back to their apartment the first thing he does – apart from taking off his shoes, of course – is to head for the counter where Sho said he left the gift. Sure enough, there's a small brown bag waiting for him there, and Jun flushes with excitement as he picks up the bag and opens it to reveal---

\---a portion of onion rings from a fast food joint.

_Five gold rings._


	6. Six Geese A-Laying

This year Arashi are filming their New Year's Eve segment at a small shrine just outside the city limits of Tokyo itself – at least, they _would_ be if Jun and Masaki turned up. They're late, which means filming can't start yet, and which also means Sho, Kazunari and Satoshi are standing around stamping their feet and watching their breath turn into steamy clouds.

“They should have been here half an hour ago!” Sho complains, hugging himself for warmth despite the thick jacket and scarf he's wearing. “Jun's probably still choosing which shirt to wear.”

“Maybe Masaki's dog got sick.”

“Why would you say that, Satoshi-kun?” Kazunari clicks his tongue in exasperation and gives his partner a swift clip around the ear. “They're probably just lost. It's not their fault the producers decided to bring us out into the middle of nowhere.”

Noticing the band members' collective distress, one of the staff members rushes over with another round of hot teas which seems to comfort them, at least for a short while.

“Hey, is that a car?” Satoshi is the first to spot the vehicle rounding the bend in the road, pointing it out so that Sho and Kazunai can see it, too. “Maybe that's them.”

And it is. Some minutes later, an apologetic Jun and a sheepish Masaki step out of the vehicle to join their band-mates.

“What kept you so long?” Sho rounds on Jun, sounding irritated, although everyone knows he was genuinely starting to get worried about his boyfriend. “Did you suddenly decide to take the scenic route?”

“You know that lake you have to pass on the way up here?” Jun appears to be unperturbed by Sho's apparent scolding. He's clearly used to dealing with the man's moods by now. “The one with the nature reserve and the visitor centre?”

“What about it?”

“You're not gonna believe this, but we got held up by ducks.”

“Ducks?”

“Yeah, ducks. We couldn't get past for ages, because there were a bunch of ducks sleeping on the road.”

“They weren't ducks, Jun!” Masaki pipes up, ever-enthusiastic when it comes to animals. “They were geese!”

_Six geese a-laying._


	7. Seven Swans A-Swimming

“I'm not going to make it, Kazu!” Satoshi clings onto the side of the boat as if for dear life, his expression a mask of terror. “Just... just go on without me... save yourself...”

“Do you _have_ to do this, Satoshi?” Kazunari rolls his eyes and acts as though he's trying to pretend his boyfriend isn't there. Normally it's _him_ who likes to pull the pranks, but when Satoshi is in a playful mood there's really no stopping him. “This is why we don't go out much any more.”

“No... it's too late... I'm... I'm going to fall...”

“Can we just have _one_ afternoon where you don't make a spectacle of yourself?”

“Never forget me....”

And with those words, Satoshi slips from the side of the vessel to land in the water below – which doesn't have too much of an effect, since it only comes up to his waist. He stands there for a moment looking somewhat dejected and rather damp as Kazunari pedals the boat around him.

“Hey, this is all _your_ fault. You're the one who wanted to try and re-enact something like Titanic in the middle of a boating lake.”

Several ducks swm past, quacking objectionably. They're used to the swan boats on the lake in Ueno Park, but it's not every day an idol jumps in to join them.

_Seven swans a-swimming._


	8. Eight Maids A-Milking

“Are you sure that coming to a maid cafe was a good idea?” Masaki glances around nervously. “We'll get a reputation as being some kind of perverts.” 

“That's only something to worry about if you really _are_ a pervert.” Jun looks up from his milkshake and grins. “Unless there's something you're not telling me?”

“No, I uh...”

Masaki blushes slightly and turns his attention back to his own drink, racking his brains for a way to steer the conversation away from more... _delicate_ matters.

“Anyway, wasn't Kazunari supposed to be meeting us here today?”

“Oh, yeah, he said he was going to be a little late.” Jun checks his watch, then frowns. “He should be here by now, though.”

As Jun responds, Masaki can't help but take a second look at one of the maids who is currently serving some kind of ice cream float to a customer. Despite the cute white apron with its lacy frills, the woman looks... _familiar_ somehow. Those legs, that waste, the way her hair hangs about her jawline. Could it be...?

“Ah, here he is.” 

At that moment, Kazunari walks through the door looking somewhat flustered and a little out of breath.

“Sorry I'm late, guys, I just---”

“Can I help you gentlemen?” 

The face which appears at their table, smiling and helpful, is unmistakeable due to its mischievous expression and well-rounded cheeks. Jun just smirks, while Masaki's mouth hangs open in disbelief.

“Sho?”

He always had enjoyed playing them for laughs.

_Eight maids a-milking._


	9. Nine Ladies Dancing

The thing about dancing for a living – when you have to focus on every step, when you have to hone your body to start moving before your mind has even realised that the beat has kicked in – is that you can find yourself doing it before you've even noticed. This is the case with Ohno Satoshi, doing his dreaded Christmas shopping in one of Tokyo's many malls, trying his best to think about what to buy his close family this year.

_Socks? A cliché, but always useful. A tie? Again, you can never have too many. Towels? Practical, maybe too boring._

And that's when it happens. The music playing over the store's loudspeaker systems changes from a festive 1950's ballad to a more modern upbeat Christmas classic, the sudden increase in tempo causing Satoshi's shoulders to start moving in time, regulating his steps to the sonorous beat of the song's bass drum.

The sales staff notice first. They whisper to each other behind their hands, torn between remaining professional and catching a glimpse of one of Arashi's finest showing his moves in public. It's not even clear whether the man is aware that he's responding to the music yet; he continues to shop even as he spins on the spot, making his way from one rack of clothing to the next.

A small group of people have gathered now, some of them shop assistants, some of them shoppers who happen to have caught a glimpse of what's happening inside the store and wandered inside under the pretense of examining the wares. They're all so subtle about it, though – it would be rude to stand and openly stare at Satoshi, and downright scandalous to draw his attention. That's why his female admirers almost follow him in his movements, carefully navigating around the various displays to get a better view, their measure footsteps and cautious glances as delicate as any professional choreography.

_Nine ladies dancing._


	10. Ten Lords A-Leaping

It's not often that pop idols get to meet members of the British aristocracy, but that's exactly what's happening on this windy day in December. Visiting London to do some filming on location, the band members happen to draw the attention of a small group of men who are actually nobility; intrigued by the cameras, and by the fact that the people being filmed are apparently Japanese, the aristocrats wander over (bolstered by a few drinks from the nearby pub) and start asking questions about what's going on.

“We're idols!” Kazunari decides to try his English, having had some success in the past. He points at himself, then at Satoshi, and the rest of the band in turn. “We're making a segment for a TV show!”

“You're idle?” One of the aristocrats frowns. “You seem rather busy to me.”

“No, no, we're really busy, we---”

“We're really popular in Japan.” Sho interjects, smiling. “We've got really good ratings.”

“You're dating?” Another one of the nobles indicates Sho, then Nino. “The two of you are dating and you're filming it for TV?”

“Ah, no, we're...”

But before Sho can correct them (blushing as he does so) the other men nod knowingly, muttering about the progressiveness of Japanese television. It seems that they've jumped to conclusions.

_Ten lords a-leaping._


	11. Eleven Pipers Piping

“What do you mean, you're no longer able to provide those carol singers for the Christmas party?”

Matsumoto Jun frowns, then sighs. He'd been hoping to arrange a special surprise for the Johnny's Christmas event – a joyfully festive occasion with traditional songs, presents, and even somebody dressed as Father Christmas – but the event organisers he'd been hoping to use have apparently let him down at the last minute.

“Okay, fine. Thanks for letting me know.”

So where is he going to find alternative entertainment at such short notice? There must be _something_ he can do. He hasn't earned his reputation as a Concert Master by simply accepting that some events will have to be a let-down.

Walking along the street he racks his brains for an answer. It's almost Christmas Eve, and there are limited options for him now; there are only so many shops open, and most performers require at least 24 hours' notice before showing up to an event. He glances from one shop front to the next, trying to come up with an idea... and that's when he notices that the doors of a large cake shop are still open, their lights shining bright.

He walks inside and places his order, very much relieved that the shop owner is able to cater for him at such short notice. There may not be carol singers at the event now, but there will at least be a number of large Christmas cakes with designs decorated on them in icing representing the words from various Christmas songs. The cake chefs will work hard through the night to apply icing to the cakes in the exact way Jun has requested.

_Eleven pipers piping._


	12. Twelve Drummers Drumming

Sakurai Sho is exhausted following his performance, as he usually is. He's given it his all, having done his best to learn the movements and choreograpy for his solo, and although he's clearly worn out from the exertion, he's also smiling. _And for a concert on Christmas Eve, no less._ Walking backstage he takes off his red sequinned cap and wipes the sweat from his brow, nodding his thanks to the staff member handing him a towel.

“Are you hungry?” Jun is suddenly there, smiling, placing a hand on his partner's shoulder. “We've got food ready---”

“You're not even going to ask about how my song went?” Sho raises an eyebrow, though he's grinning. “Some boyfriend _you_ are.”

“Hey, if you don't _want_ to eat...”

“Who said anything about not wanting to eat?” Sho clicks his tongue in mock irritation. “I'm starving.”

Soon enough they're in the staff canteen backstage, where the delicious scent of fried chicken drifts down the corridor. Satoshi, Kazunari and Masaki are already there, digging into the food eagerly – well, Kazunari is looking at it, and Satoshi is attempting to coax him into eating a piece. Fried chicken is the tradition for Christmas, after all, and fried chicken drumsticks is a seasonal treat.

_Twelve drummers drumming._


	13. My True Love Gave To Me...

It's Christmas day, and the members of Arashi are finally exchanging presents with each other. Jun has something very special for Sho - _it's about time he wore something actually fashionable for a change!_ \- and Sho has something for Jun in return, a hat which is certainly anything _but_ fashionable. Kazunari, meanwhile, is thanking Satoshi for the game he's been given, although he's not sure when he'll actually have time to play it; no matter, he can do that while Satoshi is out using his new fishing rod. It's clear that the two couples know each other very well by now.

While this is happening, Masaki sits off to one side, smiling as his friends exchange their gifts with each other. It must be nice, he thinks, to have somebody who loves you so much. Perhaps next year he'll be lucky in love.

There's no time for melancholy, however, for at that moment his dog, Uran, comes bounding in. It's hard to stay subdued when that happy, furry face starts jumping up and licking at him, and he quickly turns his attention to his furred friend – stroking, petting, patting – which is when he realises that the dog has something attached to its collar. Curious, Masaki looks closer to see a small, flat, gift-wrapped enveloped attached there, which he loosens and detaches.

“Hey, guys, did you...”

“Open it!” By this point the rest of his band-mates are staring at him, grinning. “You didn't think we'd let you go without anything for Christmas, did you?”

“But...” Masaki is overwhelmed. He hadn't been expecting anything, and to know that his friends care enough about him to make sure he isn't left out touches him more than anything. “Thank you.”

He opens the present carefully, peeling off the paper, to reveal a voucher for his favourite cake shop, enough to keep him going in gateaux until at least March... and possibly even enough for him to take somebody else, too. He really does love cake.

_My true love gave to me..._


End file.
